Kingwood High football team comes back strong after Harvey

Author:
Janelle Bludau

Published:
7:35 PM CST December 1, 2017

KINGWOOD, Texas - Kingwood High School hasn’t had much to celebrate lately, but today, they finally do.

The football team is in the state playoffs, and it’s the furthest they’ve come in almost 30 years. It’s hard to see it in inside the school's gym, but just a few months ago, Kingwood High was a school with nothing to cheer for.

“Out of my house, out of my school, didn’t have football," said junior Connor Dereliogle.

The players, coaches and their families lives were turned upside down both on the field and off.

“We couldn’t practice for two weeks and we lost all of our equipment and stuff like that," said senior Matt Slayton.

Kingwood High School gym

“We grew up having a lot of stuff and having everything you know. But really like experiencing that, you realize how quickly that can all go away and how much you need the people next to you," said Dereliogle.

The team is practicing on borrowed land, while they wait for their own home to be re-built.

“The first floor is coming along much better than anticipated," said Principal Dr. Ted Landry. “The drywall is up, they floated painted, they’re waiting on flooring and carpeting to come in next week. So very encouraged with that progress.”

Three months ago, they didn’t have uniforms.

“Six weeks ago, we didn’t know this was possible. We just wanted to get to the playoffs," said Head Coach Barry Campbell.

But today, they’re in the playoffs.

“We’re all brothers, we all practice together every day. Blood and sweat together so on the field we just came together, and it just worked out," said Slayton.

Ready to prove that against all odds that they deserve to win, after so much loss.

“As an athlete, I want to say it’s a bust if we don’t go any further, but as a person knowing what’s happened to us, it’s a miracle we even got to get into pads, so it’s a win-win either way, but obviously I'd like to keep playing," said Dereliogle.

The Mustangs will face off against Langham Creek Saturday at noon at TDECU Stadium. If they win, they’ll have two more games until the State Championship.